A variety of different packaging solutions are currently used for different types of liquids. The packages, or containers, can be made of e.g. aluminium, plastic or laminated paper. Different packaging materials and different container designs could be appropriate for different types of liquids.
The choice of packaging material is also based on the container design. One type of container which is particularly suitable for non-carbonated beverages consists of a sleeve, a bottom and a top, where the different parts are not necessarily made of the same material. For instance, the sleeve and the bottom can be integrally manufactured of laminated paper and the top be injection moulded in plastic. The bottom is, for instance, formed by sealing one end of the sleeve and then folding it such that a square or rectangular bottom is created. Such a container is disclosed in EP-B1-0 960 014 and WO 98/32666. A similar design is disclosed in EP-A1-0 862 980. Such containers can be used for beverages that are meant to be drunk directly from the container. When holding a container in one's hand, it is often most comfortable if the container is round in cross-section. However, known containers with folded bottoms are square or rectangular in cross-section. To fold the bottom such that the cross-section of the sleeve is essentially round is not feasible using known techniques.